


The Brighter Side of Death

by A_once_and_future_love



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Movie Fusion, Eobard kinda being a creeper, F/M, If you've seen the movie, M/M, Monster Hunters, Non-Consensual Kissing, Sort of Barry Allen/Eobard Thawne, Universal Movie Monsters, Vampires, Van Helsing - Freeform, Werewolves, you'll understand
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-06
Updated: 2015-12-30
Packaged: 2018-04-30 06:02:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5152985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_once_and_future_love/pseuds/A_once_and_future_love
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From what the stories said, Oliver Queen was responsible for the deaths of over 30 people across Europe. There was rumor, though, that he hunted evil for the Vatican, and all of his victims were those possessed by some sort of evil. Either way, Oliver Queen seemed like a man that could fend for himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

He knew he was being watched.

            The forest around him was near silent, his harsh, anxious breaths echoing in the large clearing. Barry’s grip on the ropes around his arms tightened, and he tried to rest his head back on the post he was tied to. One wrong move and weeks of planning went out the window. Taking a deep breath, he focused his eyes on the woods around him.

            “Come on out.” He whispered. “You were released for a reason.”

            He knew it was watching him. It was probably licking its chops, waiting to sink its teeth into him. Barry just had to be patient. He stiffened at the sound of a low growl to his left. Suddenly, something leapt from the trees. Barry pulled at the ropes, which fell loose, and ran back from the post. When the monster moved to follow, the ground gave out from under it. Barry smiled as Joe’s men ran from the trees, quickly closing the cage the beast had fallen in.

One of the men, Eddie, rushed over to where he was standing. “Barry, are you okay?” He started checking over him, but Barry laughed and brushed him away.

“I’m fine, Eddie.”

“I’m just making sure.” Eddie smiled, pulling him back from the hole so that Joe’s men could get into position around it, weapons drawn. “You know Iris would never forgive me if something happened to her brother on my watch.”

“Well, I’m fine, so you have nothing to worry about.” He reassured. He watched as his friend, Cisco, pulled on a lever that pulled the cage into the air, giving them all a clear view of their catch and shivered.

            A werewolf.

            He knew when they originally came up with the plan what monster was going to be coming after him, but he’d never actually seen one in person. It was huge –maybe 10 feet long, with gnarly claws and teeth like daggers. And its eyes were focused right on him.

            Eddie put a calming hand on his shoulder, but Barry barely registered it as he stared into the murderous eyes glaring back at him. “I’ve never seen one this close before.” He breathed, wanting to move away from it.

            From the corner of his eye, Barry saw Eddie turn to Cisco. “It can’t get out, can it?” He asked.

            Cisco shook his head. “No, of course not.” Then, the cage started to shake and the wolf began clawing at the ropes holding up the cage. “Unless it does that.” Cisco corrected, jumping back as far from the cage as he could.

“Shoot it!” Joe ordered, drawing his own gun. “Put it down!”

“No!” Barry shouted, running for them, but they’d already started firing, taking out one of the ropes all by themselves. Barry drew his own pistol from his belt. “It needs to be _my_ gun. It has silver bullets!”

Joe stopped, holstering his gun and yelling for his men to stop, but it was too late. At the moment Barry made it to the cage, a bullet ripped through the final rope and the beast came down. The cage busted open upon contact with the ground, and Barry barely even had to hear Joe yell at him to run when he took off in the opposite direction. He didn’t need to look to know the wolf was chasing after him. They ran through the woods, Barry not daring to look back and too scared to think about where he was going, until he was forced to a stop.

A cliff over the river. He looked over the ledge, groaning when he realized it was way too far of a fall to survive, before turning to face his fate. The werewolf was stopped ten feet behind him, mouth foaming and eyes feral. He reached into his belt to grab his pistol –only to realize he’d dropped it when the cage dropped. He swallowed hard. The beast was watching him, waiting to what he would do, what was going to happen. Barry knew he couldn’t kill it and he couldn’t get away. All he could do is hold his breath and wait for the monster to pounce.

Turns out, he didn’t have to wait that long. The beast gave a loud roar, and then it was charging at him. Barry prepared himself for the feeling of claws in him, of teeth ripping through his skin, but the only thing he felt was something hitting him hard from the side—he was knocked to the ground out of the wolf’s path. He looked up to see a split second of Eddie, standing centimeters from the beast, Barry’s pistol in his hand and pointed at its heart, before a loud _boom_ echoed across through the cliffs. Then, they were gone.

Barry jumped to his feet and ran over to the cliff, hoping for a ledge below he may have missed that Eddie fell on or a branch he could’ve held on to. But the ripples in the river below told a different story. His heart fell into his stomach.

“God,” he whispered to the cliffs, “help us.”

0000000

When Barry, Joe and the other men made it back to the village, Iris was standing on the platform in the center of the square, glaring at a strange man with a bow and quiver of arrows on his back, surrounded by the townspeople. At the man’s side were a pair of monks, their hoods low on their faces.

            “You will now be disarmed.” He heard her say. But, when a villager approached to take his weapons, the stranger put his hand to his gun and huffed.

            “You are most certainly welcome to try.”

            Iris smiled coldly. “Fine. Kill them.”

            Barry’s eyes widened as he rushed up to his sister’s side. “Whoa, whoa!” He shouted, holding his hands out. “There is no need for that.”

            Iris rolled her eyes. “He refused to disarm, I am treating him as a threat.” She drew her gun to point at the stranger, but Barry stepped between her and the three newcomers.

            “Why don’t we try reasoning before we put very permanent and deadly holes in people?” He asked.

            “Allen?” The stranger said suddenly. “Prince Bartholomew Allen?”

            Barry turned and frowned in confusion. He tried to get a look at the man’s face, but his hood was pulled so it was covered in shadow. “It seems you have me at a disadvantage. You know my name, but I don’t know yours.”

            The man nodded. “Oliver Queen.” The townspeople gasped, jumping away from him in fright. Barry understood why –even in Transylvania, you aren’t often within 10 feet of the most wanted man in Europe.

            Behind him, Barry heard Joe draw his gun to point at Queen, but he remained where he stood between his family and the stranger. “What is your purpose in Transylvania, Mr. Queen?”

            He shrugged. “I was sent to help you. I am here to keep you alive and safe until I can kill Eobard Thawne and set your family free.”

            Barry’s blood ran cold at the mention of the curse. Over 700 years before he was born, one of Barry’s ancestors swore to avenge the death of his wife by a monster named Eobard Thawne, Eddie’s ancestor. He swore that, until Thawne was dead and his wife avenged, none of his family would be able to step through the gates of Heaven. And, if all of his family were to fail and Thawne live on, they would be cursed to purgatory. His family spent all of their lives trying to find ways to kill him, but Thawne soon figured out about the curse and took it upon himself to wipe the Allen bloodline from existence. And he was doing a remarkable job.

            Barry Allen was the last of his family.

            Joe snorted. “We don’t need your kind of help here.”

            “Oh, really?” Queen asked, before drawing his bow and notching an arrow in it quicker than Barry could see and pointing it…at the air behind him and Iris?

            A loud screech cut through the air, and Barry spun around in fear. Three figures were flying towards them –three very familiar figures.

 Bivolo, Marden and Woodword. The count’s three flunkies.

            “Vampires!” He yelled. “Everyone get inside!”

            Barry felt a hand curl around his wrist and, suddenly, he found himself being dragged behind Oliver Queen, who started firing arrows in the monsters’ direction. While the townsfolk all ran for cover, Iris and Joe fired their weapons at the vampires. One of the monks grabbed the other and dragged her off to hide behind the church wall while she dug through a bag of supplies.

            The three vampires split up, making them harder targets to shoot. Barry drew his own gun, ready to shoot, but something grabbed him from above, and he was lifted off the ground.

            “Barry!” He heard Iris yell. Below, Oliver Queen looked up at him and cursed. He turned his bow to the vampire and fired a well-aimed arrow where the vampire was holding Barry, and he was dropped.

            Which would’ve been good if he wasn’t already twenty feet off the ground. Barry closed his eyes and waited for the impact of hitting the ground. Instead, he landed in, what felt like, someone’s arms –someone who, apparently, wasn’t prepared for the impact and toppled to the ground with an ‘oof’.

            Barry opened his eyes and, with embarrassment, noticed that he was sprawled on top of Oliver Queen. Oliver rolled them over so he was on top of Barry and frowned.

            “Stay here!” He ordered, jumping up to his feet. Barry scowled and stood.

            “No!” He shot back. “They’re trying to kill me! I’m not letting other people die for me!”

            Another screech echoed. Oliver groaned. “Fine, but keep moving!”

            Barry nodded and took off in a run away from where most of the villagers had fled. Two of the vampires broke off from the attack to chase him.

            “Bivolo!” He heard one of them shout to the third. “Kill the stranger!” Barry didn’t dare look back though, because he knew that, if he did, the vampires would catch him. He rushed over to one of the nearby houses and threw the door open, slamming it shut behind him and throwing the lock.

            But, when he turned around, there was a smirking face in front of him.

            “Barry Allen.” Anthony Woodword grinned, his fangs gleaning in the low light. Barry swallowed hard.

            “Come on, Tony. You tortured me enough when you were alive. Now that you’re undead, you’re going to try to kill me?”

            Tony laughed. “Sorry, Allen, but you have to die to complete the curse on your family.” He leaned in, pressing Barry against the door. “It’s nothing personal.”

            Barry’s hand clenched around the handle of his pistol. “I’m sorry too, Tony.” He fired his gun into the vampire’s gut, knowing it wouldn’t kill him, but hoping it would slow him down enough for him to get away.

            The vampire doubled over and Barry pushed past, running into the next room to search for a way out. Unfortunately, he found another vampire waiting for him.

            “Hello, Barry.” Mark Mardon growled. Barry jumped back, only to run into a hard chest. Apparently, his distraction hadn’t lasted as long as he’d hoped. He turned to see Tony glaring down at him, teeth bared like he was ready to rip his throat out. Barry started backing away, the vampires following slowly.

            “The last of the Allen’s.” Mardon said with a smirk.

            Barry’s back hit the wall. He raised his gun to defend himself, only to have Mardon pin his gun hand to the wall above him. The vampires eyed him hungrily and Barry flinched away, waiting for the sharp pain before death.

            The pain never came though, because, little did Barry know that, at that exact moment, Oliver Queen put three arrows covered in holy water in Roy Bivolo’s chest. All he knew was that Mardon and Woodword both let out loud screeches before flying out of the house, leaving behind a very confused, but very relieved, Barry.

000000

            “You’re the first man to kill a vampire in over 100 years. That’s amazing!” Barry smiled, leading Oliver Queen and his two friends, a perky blonde named Felicity and a large, stoic man called Diggle, through his castle. He knew that Joe was rolling his eyes behind him, but he was too excited to care. “You work for the Church, don’t you? I always thought you were more of an avenging angel-like person than the mass murderer everyone thinks you are –I mean, your friends kind of prove it.” He glanced back at Felicity, who smiled and waved at him perkily. “How did you guys even get here?”

            “We took a boat.” Felicity answered less perkily. She turned slightly green, as though thinking about the rough waters of the Adriatic Sea, but Barry stopped and stared at the three in awe.

            “You came by sea? What was it like?”

             Felicity opened her mouth to reply, but Diggle jumped in before the conversation grew too off topic. “Where is Thawne?”

            A pang of sorrow shot through Barry at the name, thinking of the count’s descendent that risked his life for him, but shook it off in favor of answering. “He used to live here over 400 years ago, until my family overthrew his. No one knows where he lives now.” He motioned to the tapestry of a giant map of Transylvania that decorated the hall wall. “My father used to stare at that map for hours, trying to find Eobard Thawne’s lair so he could avenge my mother’s death. Then, twelve months ago, he just disappeared.”

            He hung his head, thinking of all he’d lost at the count’s hands. “I know you all want to help, but this is my fight –I’m the one the count wants. I can’t ask you to go against him.” His gaze shifted to Joe and Iris. “No one can help me.”

            Oliver snorted, grabbing Barry’s attention. “We can, and we won’t give up without a fight.”

            “You’re going to die trying.” Barry said. “All of my family has.”

            The hall grew silent. Barry cleared his throat and turned away, continuing the walk to the guest area of the castle. “I told you all you could stay here in the castle. The guest quarters are right down this hall, to the left and up the stairs.”

            He turned at the next hall to head towards the armory, but a hand grabbed his arm and stopped him. “And what are you planning on doing?” Oliver asked, pulling him back around to face him. Behind him, Iris motioned for Felicity and Diggle to follow her to the guest chambers, leaving Barry with Joe and Oliver.

            “I’m going out to find him. I can handle myself.”

            Oliver raised an eyebrow. “I could see that by how you handled yourself today.”

            “They were trying to catch me unprepared –they _never_ attack in the daytime.” Barry defended. “They’re almost desperate to finish me off.”

            “Why is that? Why are they just now attacking so often?”

            Barry shrugged. “I guess Thawne is just anxious to be rid of me.”

            “So, you’re going to make it easier on him by going out, by yourself in the middle of the night?” Oliver asked with a tone of disbelief. Barry gaped at the man, angry at the implications that he was helpless, but also couldn’t think of a suitable argument.

            Joe interrupted his thoughts by clearing his throat. “I hate to say this, Barr, but he’s right. The best way to stop Thawne is to keep you alive. If you go alone and you'll be outmanned and out positioned.”

            “And you can’t see in the dark.” Oliver added. He released Barry’s arm and took a step away. “In the morning, we can all go out and hunt him… _together._ ”

            Barry looked over Oliver. From what the stories said, Oliver Queen was responsible for the deaths of over 30 people across Europe. There was rumor, though, that he hunted evil for the Vatican, and all of his victims were those possessed by some sort of evil. Either way, Oliver Queen seemed like a man that could fend for himself. Still, no one had been able to kill Eobard Thawne in over 400 years. There was no reason for Oliver or his friends or Joe and Iris to get hurt for him. His mind flashed back to Eddie and he made his decision.

“I can’t let anyone else get hurt.” He replied, shaking his head. “I’m sorry.”

He continued towards the armory, rolling his eyes when he heard footsteps following him. “I’m sorry about your family.” Oliver said, hurrying his steps until he was walking beside Barry. 

Barry shrugged. “It’s alright. I believe in the brighter side of death –that one day, we’ll all be together, no matter what happens. Besides, Joe and Iris have been like my family for years, sometimes more than my actual family was.”

“I’m also sorry that you think you have to do this alone.”

He shrugged again. “No one else is going to get hurt because of me.”

Oliver grabbed his arm suddenly, pulling him to a stop. Before Barry could ask why, something was being sprayed in his face, and the room started growing dark.

“I’m sorry about that, too…” He heard before completely losing consciousness.

 

00000000

            Barry awoke tucked in his bed, the full moon shining through his window and annoyance twisted in his stomach. “Oliver Queen!” He growled, kicking the blankets off and stomping to the door.

            The candles that usually lit the halls were out and the moon had now slid behind the clouds, plunging the castle into darkness. Barry wandered the halls, searching for Oliver to give a piece of his mind to. He turned towards the tower, wondering if the hunter had decided to check their records, when a sound echoed through the halls. Barry frowned, following the noise to the armory. What he found there froze him in his tracks.

            Iris was standing by an open window, torch in hand, and her eyes filled with tears. In front of her was a man, dripping wet from the rain.

            “Eddie?”

            The man looked terrible. His blond hair was in disarray, his pants were ripped and shredded, and he was completely missing a shirt. But Barry had never been happier to see him. He hurried over to his friend and threw his arms around his neck. Tension slid from Eddie’s shoulders as he returned the hug.

            “It’s good to see you, too, Barry. I’m glad you’re okay.”

            Barry grinned. “Only thanks to you.”

            Suddenly, Barry was being pushed away. Eddie’s eyes were frantic, looking between him and Iris and the window. “Barry, I need to warn you. I came here to warn you.”

            “There’s a werewolf in the castle, Barry.” Iris cut in, but Eddie shook his head.

            “No, no, not that!” Eddie shouted. “It’s about the count! He has a—” But the words caught in his throat. He started to back away from them and stumbled, his body shaking violently. Iris stepped forward to help, but Eddie held out a hand to stop her.

            “No!” He yelled, stumbling as far away as he could, until his back was up against a wall. The room lit up with moonlight as the clouds floated out of the way and, suddenly, it hit Barry what was going on.

            “Eddie…” He shook his head in disbelief, but Eddie nodded confirmation.

            “Run, Barry.” He ordered. “Take Iris and ruuuuuUUUUUUU—” His last word was turned into a bloodcurdling scream. His body arched against the wall, his fingers clawing at his chest. Barry grabbed Iris by the arm and dragged her back, pulling her against his chest so she didn’t have to watch the fur push through Eddie’s skin, his bones stretching and deforming, his face elongating into the snout of a wolf.

            When it was finally over, a large, snarling white werewolf stood in the place of Barry and Iris’ friend.

Barry didn’t even realize there were tears running down his face. “Oh, Eddie.” He whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

            “BARRY, GET DOWN!”

            Barry turned just in time to see Oliver rushing in, arrows niched and ready to fire. Eddie howled, leaping out the window before the shot was taken, and Oliver cursed.

            “Are you hurt?” He asked, checking both him and Iris, who was still in a state of disbelief, over for bites or injuries. Before Barry could reply, Felicity and Diggle ran in.

“What the hell happened?” Felicity frowned, taking in the open window and the state of Iris and Barry. “And why does it reek of wet dog?”

“There’s a werewolf.” Oliver explained. Diggle pulled out two pistols, throwing one to Oliver.

“Silver bullets. Let’s hunt this thing.” They both headed out, leaving Felicity to mother Iris and Barry. When Barry finally got Felicity to leave to find Joe, Iris spun to stare Barry in the eye.

“We have to stop them.” She demanded. “They will kill him. I can’t lose him again.”

Barry nodded. “Okay. You wait here for Joe and Felicity, I’ll go stop Oliver.”

 

 

            When Barry finally caught up with the hunter, he was standing at the edge of the cemetery behind the church, pistol aimed directly at Eddie.

            “No!” He yelled, tackling Oliver to the ground. The pistol went off, missing the werewolf by inches. Eddie bounded over the nearby buildings and out of sight, and Barry let out a sigh of relief. His relief didn’t last long, though, when he suddenly found himself being pinned to the ground by an angry Oliver Queen.

            “Let me up!” He snarled, pushing up in an attempt to free himself, but Oliver was too strong.

            “Why?” He demanded, pushing down harder on Barry’s wrists. Barry flinched in pain.

            “You’re hurting me!” Oliver just pressed harder. “I...I can’t…tell you.” Barry growled through clenched teeth. “If people knew…”

            The grip on his wrist slackened and, for a moment, Barry was able to look directly in Oliver’s eyes and see more than his cold exterior. He looked –remorseful? Apologetic? Sympathetic? Understanding? But then, it was gone, shuttered away, and Oliver was rising to his feet, leaving Barry sprawled out on the ground.

            “He’s not your friend anymore, Barry.” He growled, picking his pistol off the ground and holstering it. Barry’s heart stopped.

            “You knew?” He pushed himself to his feet and pushed the hunter back. “You knew this whole time, yet you still tried to kill him!”

            “He’s a monster, he’s going to hurt people!”

            “He can’t help it!”

            “It doesn’t matter!”

            Barry scowled at Oliver, before turning his back to the hunter, too angry to look him in the face. “How long have you known?”

            He heard Oliver sigh. “Since I heard about the wolf’s attack.” There was rustling sound and, when Barry looked back, Oliver was securing all of his weapons.

            “What are you going to do?”

            “I’m going to follow him.” Oliver answered. “He’ll lead me to straight to Eobard Thawne.”

            Barry nodded. “I’m coming, too.”

            Oliver raised an eyebrow and shot him a look of disbelief. “No, you’re not.” He began walking towards where Eddie disappeared. Barry watched him for a moment and sighed.

            “There’s a cure.”

 Oliver stopped in his tracks. Barry took that as a sign to continue. “They say that Thawne keeps a cure for being a werewolf. If there’s a chance I can keep someone I care about from suffering a fate worse than death, I’m taking it.”

Even with his back turned, Barry could tell Oliver was frowning. “This is just the chance Thawne needs –for you to charge into his lair, distracted.”

“I don’t care.” Barry shook his head. “Eobard Thawne has taken almost everyone I care about. I won’t let him take Eddie from us.”

Oliver glanced back for a second, then hung his head in defeat. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry had only seen Eobard Thawne once, years ago, when he’d attacked his home to end the Allen line himself. After that night, the only time Barry ever saw the count was in his nightmares. Until he landed on the floor not twenty feet away from him.

            It didn’t take long for Barry to realize where it was that Eddie was leading them. A few miles from the village, at the foot of the mountains, a huge, stone castle loomed.

            “Where are we?” Oliver asked, pressing himself and Barry against one of the outer walls to avoid being spotted.

            “This is Stein Castle.” Barry explained. “For years, there was a scientist that lived here. Then, a little over a year ago, he vanished. Everyone in town believes that either he ran off or Thawne killed him.”

            Oliver frowned. “Why would Thawne care? What was he working on?”

            Barry shrugged. “He was a recluse. All we know is that, around the same time, Mardon kidnapped one of the villagers –a guy named Ronnie Raymond. No one has seen or heard from him since.”

            Honestly, Stein Castle had always given Barry the chills –even before Martin Stein began his experiments. Now that he knew Thawne was hiding out there, he wanted nothing more than to stay as far away from the castle as physically possible. A wolf’s howl cut through the air, and all thoughts of leaving for Barry vanished. Eddie needed him.

            “You said that was a little over a year ago?” Oliver’s voice interrupted his thoughts. Barry nodded. “So, right before your father went missing?”

            Barry nodded. “He was trying to find Thawne’s lair or some clue about what he’s planning. I guess he found out something he shouldn’t have.”

            Oliver looked like he wanted to ask more questions, but thought better of it as the howls from the wolf turned into the screams of a man. He motioned for Barry to follow him as he crept towards the castle, keeping an eye open for any guards.

            The once grand front hall was empty, save for old cobwebs and dust. Oliver led the way, until a voice echoed up one of the side stairwells. Thinking fast, Barry pulled Oliver behind one of the large, load bearing pillars. He rolled his eyes when he saw who it was entering the hall.

            “Hartley Rathaway.” He whispered into Oliver’s ear, worried about his voice carrying. “He’s Eobard Thawne’s right hand. He’s more annoying than he is dangerous, but that doesn’t mean you should underestimate him. He’s a conniving genius.”

            Oliver nodded silently, and the two stood stock still until Hartley disappeared up the main staircase. Barry relaxed, only then noticing that he was pressed chest to chest with Oliver, who looked like he was trying to ignore their close proximity. He stepped back from the hunter, clearing his throat nervously.

            “We should follow him.” He suggested. Oliver nodded and led the way to the main staircase.

           

0000000

            What stood at the top of the stairs made Barry and Oliver freeze in their tracks. The staircase opened up into a huge, high ceilinged room full of zapping and sputtering lab equipment. In the very center of the room, on top of circular, metal machine, was a surgical table and, strapped down to it, was Eddie. Barry moved to run at him, but Oliver pulled him back by the waist. Before he could say anything, a shadow descended into the room.

            Barry had only seen Eobard Thawne once, years ago, when he’d attacked his home to end the Allen line himself. His father had been away at the time, dealing with a skirmish at the borders of the town. Barry, only eleven at the time, was asleep in his room when he’d heard a loud crash in the entrance hall. He’d gone downstairs to investigate, only to find Count Eobard Thawne dropping his mother’s drained body to the ground, his mouth dripping with blood. Barry had been frozen in place, too afraid to move as Thawne’s attention turned towards him. He waited for the vampire to make his move –to lunge at him, fangs withdrawn and take him out once and for all. But, instead, Thawne just stood in place, staring strangely at Barry, who could only stare back at him. It wasn’t until Joe came running in, guns drawn and firing at him that Thawne roared and flew away, leaving Barry terrified, standing over his mother’s dead body. After that night, the only time Barry ever saw the count was in his nightmares.

            Until he landed on the floor not twenty feet away from him.

            “Werewolves are so difficult to control on their first full moon.” He said, strolling over to where Eddie was struggling to free himself. “I sent you to go find out who the stranger was that killed Bivolo, but instead, you _had_ to talk to Miss West and Mr. Allen.”

            “Leave them out of this!” Eddie growled. “Barry and Iris don’t know your secret. And I’m going to die with it.”

            The count chuckled. “Oh, Mr. _Thawne_ ,” Eddie flinched at the reminder of his relation to the vampire, “you are _far_ more useful to me alive.”

            “I’d rather die.”

            “Careful—most people who say that die. Besides, after the stroke of midnight tonight, the werewolf curse will permanently take hold and you’ll have no choice in the matter.”

            Barry inhaled sharply. He knew the curse of a werewolf took hold completely after the first full moon, but he had no idea that Eddie would be trapped as one forever afterwards. He hadn’t even noticed that the count had continued talking until he heard a familiar name.

            “–I thought Henry Allen would be enough to further my experiments. Unfortunately, he proved useless. But, with the werewolf blood in your veins, I believe you will hold up much better.”

            Thawne nodded to someone out of Barry and Oliver’s sight, either Hartley or one of the Thawne’s other vampires, and the table Eddie was strapped to started to rise up to an open skylight high above them.

            Barry turned towards Oliver. “We have to save him.” He whispered. “Eddie is fighting it –maybe there’s still a chance.”

            Oliver sighed. “Barry, Eddie is gone. There’s no way we can find the cure and get it to him in time, but we can stop the count from hurting others.”

            Barry opened his mouth to argue, but at that moment, a bolt of lightning struck Eddie, sending electricity down to the machine. It banged and buzzed for a few seconds until—

            “GET DOWN!” Oliver yelled, pushing Barry to the ground and covering him with his body. A pulse shot out at all angles from the machine, narrowly skimming over Oliver and Barry. Eddie’s screams of pain echoed through the whole room, and it took everything Barry had not to push Oliver off to run and help him. Shouts from Hartley and the vampires boomed over them.

            “We must keep the atmosphere electrified!”

“Accelerate the generators!”

“Power the dynamos!”

“We are losing power. The human is insufficient!”

            The pulse finally died down. Oliver rolled off of Barry and jumped to his feet, bow drawn and arrow notched. Barry rose his head and a shiver went up his spine. Eobard Thawne’s eyes were completely focused on them. Barry rose slowly to his feet, eyes not leaving the vampire as he moved closer to Oliver’s side.

            “Barry,” the hunter said. “You try and stop that machine, I’ll handle Thawne.”

            Barry nodded and ran for the machine, hoping that Oliver could take care of himself. Woodward and Mardon hissed and flew for him, but arrows shot them down from behind him, buying enough time to reach the lever to bring Eddie back down. While the surgical table lowered, Barry chanced a look back to see how Oliver was faring against Thawne.

What he saw was the count nonchalantly throwing a crucifix behind him, not a burn on him, and wiping holy water off his face like it was an inconvenience. Oliver let three arrows fly at once, all meeting their mark in Eobard Thawne’s chest, but even that didn’t stop him.

A loud clang drew his attention back to Eddie, whose eyes were squeezed shut. Barry grabbed at the straps to free him.

“Barry, stop!” Eddie’s eyes were open and hysterical. “Barry, don’t unstrap me! I can feel it… _clawing_ to break free!”

“I don’t care!” Barry shouted. “I’m getting you out and we’re going to find a way to help you.” When he unbuckled the first strap, he realized his mistake. Eddie’s arms were growing fur. He jumped back just as the transformation finished. The werewolf pulled itself free from the rest of its restraints, its eyes focused directly on Barry.

Suddenly, there was an arm wrapped around his waist and Barry was being pulled away from the wolf. “Run, Barry!” Oliver yelled as he pulled him towards the large window at the far side of the room. He let go of Barry’s waist to notch another arrow and fired it at the window, shattering the glass. Barry didn’t even notice the rope attached to the end until Oliver wrapped his arm around his waist again and dove headfirst out the window. Behind them, there was a snarl and a whimper as Eddie tried to follow them, only to fall into the deep ravine below, while Barry and Oliver swung safely to the other side.

00000000

“Arrows through the heart? Crucifixes?” Barry yelled as he and Oliver ran across the open landscape to escape the rain. “I thought you had some special way to kill him –not all the ways we’ve tried before!”

They stopped when they came across an old, burnt down windmill that had just enough to it to shelter them. Barry sat down on the ground and sighed. “No one knows how to kill Eobard Thawne. That’s kind of our problem.”

Oliver rolled his eyes and paced. “That’s information I could have used earlier.”

Barry just shrugged, his eyes focused on the ground in front of him. “You were right...” He whispered. “By the way.”

Oliver froze in his tracks. Barry could practically hear him frown.

“Eddie really is gone.” He elaborated. “There’s no way to save him from Eobard Thawne’s control. I’m sorry –it was stupid to hope.”

The only sound for a few minutes was the sound of the rain hitting the wood above their heads. Then, Oliver walked over to sit beside him.

“There’s nothing wrong with hoping. So far, I’d say that it’s one of your best qualities –the ability to see light when all anyone else can see is pitch black.” Barry looked up and saw what he knew was a rare sight—Oliver Queen was smiling at him. He smiled back, feeling a warmth spread through him. He felt himself lean towards Oliver slowly, and the hunter moved closer to him—whether intentionally or not, it was hard to tell, but Barry wasn’t arguing when their lips were only a breath away…

But then, the ground gave out below them.

 

0000000

            Barry’s entire body ached when he finally woke up. He opened his eyes and frowned when he noticed that he was in some sort of underground cavern. His eyes switched between focused and fuzzy for a few moments until they finally settled on looking at someone leaning over him.

He opened his mouth to scream, but a hand covered his mouth. “Barry, it’s me.” The figure whispered. Barry relaxed as his sight sharpened and Oliver’s face became clear. “Be extremely quiet.” Oliver warned, removing his hand. “We aren’t alone.”

A shiver shot down Barry’s spine as Oliver helped him to his feet. Whether it was from Oliver’s proximity or the thought of someone watching them, he wasn’t completely sure.

            “Whoever it is, they’ve been down here for a long time.” Oliver nodded to the footprints all over the ground, overlapping this way and that from movement overtime. “At least a year. Maybe more.”

            He nodded to the bones of some small animals on a nearby rock. “It’s carnivorous. And appears to be intelligent.” Oliver picked up a bible from the ground that was horribly scorched around the edges. He looked over at Barry and froze.

            “He’s about 5’11 and his eyes are completely pale white.”

            Barry frowned. “How do you know that?”

            “Because he’s standing right behind you— _MOVE!_ ” Oliver pushed Barry behind him and drew a pistol, firing at whatever was behind him. When he turned to see what it was, his jaw dropped.

            Ronnie Raymond stood before them, hands and head completely engulfed in fire.

            “Oliver, no!” He lunged to pull the gun from Oliver, causing him to fall back and fire above Ronnie. The bullet struck a loose rock overhead, and a large boulder came tumbling down, knocking and pinning him to the ground.

            Oliver raised his gun at him again, but Barry jumped between them. “No, Oliver!” He shouted. “It’s Ronnie! The villager that went missing a year ago!”

            Oliver furrowed his brow, but lowered his weapon.

            “We—we are not—” Barry turned to see Ronnie attempting to sit up, his eyes still pale white, but no longer on fire. “We are not Ronnie Raymond.”

            Barry frowned.

            “We—we _were_ Ronnie, once.” Not Ronnie explained, looking at his hands with a confused expression. “But that was before Count Eobard Thawne. He created a machine…a machine to create as many monsters as he needs, each one under his control.”

            Oliver nodded. “We saw the machine last night.”

            “Last night was just an experiment.” Not Ronnie explained. “For the machine to work, it needs a special power source. A year ago, Thawne turned to an inventor named Martin Stein to create this source. Stein discovered that the source needed a vessel to control it, but he never imagined that Thawne would take an innocent person to use as the vessel. He fought against Thawne and tried to destroy his research but, in doing so, he only completed his own work. Martin Stein bonded with Ronnie Raymond physically, and _they_ became _we_. We are now Firestorm.”

            Firestorm hung their head. “We’ve been hiding down here for a year, hoping that Eobard Thawne wouldn’t find us. But now, we suppose it’s too late.” They pointed behind them and Barry let out a shout when he saw Eddie, full werewolf form, leaping out of the cavern –off to report their and Firestorm’s whereabouts.

            “Oh, god.” Barry looked to Oliver. “Now what do we do?”

            “If we can get him to Rome,” Oliver explained, “we can protect him there.”

 

0000000

            When they arrived back at Barry’s home, he went right to work arranging transport to Rome. He explained the situation to Joe, who started to prepare enough horses for the journey. That’s when Iris explained what had happened while they were gone.

            “It was terrifying, Barry.” She buzzed. “The wave only made it to the town, but when we all went down to see what was happening, people were twitching on the ground and all kinds of strange things were happening to them! And then it just… _stopped_.”

            Barry nodded. “That’s because Thawne tried to use Eddie to power his machine instead of Firestorm.”

            Iris’ eyes widened. “Is Eddie–”

            “He’s alive.” The tension drained from Iris’ shoulders. Barry grabbed Iris’ hand with a frown. “But Iris, he’s not Eddie anymore. Everything he is belongs to Eobard Thawne now. The Eddie we know is gone.”

            Tears dripped down Iris’ face and Barry pulled her into a hug, hiding tears of his own. They pulled apart when Oliver and Felicity came into the room, Felicity waving her arms animatedly as she explained something.

            “I bumped into this section of the wall and one of the panels flipped around and there was a painting. It was of a vampire and a werewolf fighting.”

            “What does it mean?” Oliver asked.

            “I don’t know, but it has to be important.”

           

            Barry cleared his throat as they approached. “There will be two carriages –the decoy, which will be driven by you and Diggle,” He acknowledged Oliver, who nodded, “and the real carriage, which will be driven by me and Joe. Inside the first carriage is going to be a device Cisco and I came up with that, when activated, will detonate, shooting silver stakes in all directions that will hopefully kill any vampires that attack.” He turned to Felicity and Iris. “The two of you will be inside the second carriage with Firestorm, just in case things get rocky. You keep Mardon and Woodward from getting him at any cost, okay?”

            They nodded in agreement and Barry led them out to the courtyard, where the carriages were waiting. Beside one of them stood a young woman with red hair, looking in at Firestorm with worry. Oliver frowned.  

            “That’s Caitlin.” Barry explained. “Ronnie’s fiancée. She’s thought he was dead for a whole year and now…she hasn’t really gotten him back, has she?”

            He continued over to where Joe was checking the horses. “Transylvanian Horses –they’re the fastest animals there are. Even faster than a werewolf.”

            Oliver nodded. “Be careful, Barry. There’s a chance this may not work.”

            Barry flashed him his most reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. It will.”

 

0000000

            And, at first, it did. Mardon and Woodward took the bait, following Oliver and Diggle on the main path through the Romanian forest, while Barry and Joe took a lesser known path close by. Through the trees, Barry could spot the vampires attacking every now and again, enough to tell that Oliver and Diggle were holding their own.

            The paths split different ways, and the other carriage cut sharply to the right, while they travelled straight. Ahead was a large chasm, straddled by a covered bridge. They crossed over, temporarily spotting the other path. Barry’s jaw dropped. The other bridge was gone.

The other horses appeared out of the forest just as they charged back into the forest. A few seconds later, a loud explosion echoed through the air.

“I guess Woodward and Mardon found your little surprise.” Joe yelled with a smile. Barry nodded, but didn’t feel near as relieved as Joe clearly did. The chances of both vampires getting killed by the blast was small, but hopefully it would get them off their trail for the rest of the journey.

 Barry just hoped that Oliver and Diggle had been far away when it happened.

His hopes were answered when the horses rode up on the path, now parallel to them, with Oliver and Diggle each riding on one. Joe pulled the reins to move their horses closer, and the pair jumped to the carriage.

Barry flashed Oliver another grin. “Told you it’d work.”

That’s when a soft growl sounded behind them. Barry and Oliver turned slowly to see Eddie, full werewolf form, standing on the back of the carriage, claws raised to slice into the roof. When it saw them spot it, it roared, leaping to the roof and shaking it precariously. Joe and Diggle, who had been sitting at the edges, teetered dangerously before slipping off the seat, each catching the step up for the door to keep them on. Barry lunged to help Joe, but Eddie caught him with its claws, throwing him back against Oliver.

Oliver tried to get a clean shot with his pistol, but the collision with Barry knocked him too far back. Far enough that he lost his balance and fell from the carriage. Luckily, Barry grabbed the back of his coat just in time, but neither were left in a position to take on the werewolf. Barry looked back at his once-friend, looming over him with its claws raised for the kill—

But the kill never came. Instead, a blast of fire knocked the werewolf off the carriage. Barry smiled up at Firestorm, standing tall and proud on top of the carriage. He glanced to the sides to see Felicity and Iris opening the doors to help Joe and Diggle in, and Firestorm reached down and pulled Barry and Oliver back into the seats.

Unfortunately, Eddie wasn’t as gone as they’d hoped. The wolf, who’d clung to the back of the carriage and clawed its way back up, leapt forward over the top—towards him or Firestorm, Barry couldn’t tell, but he knew that either way, he wouldn’t make it past this final confrontation with Eddie. But Oliver Queen rammed into him, pushing him off the carriage along with Firestorm.

Barry hit the snow hard, while Firestorm was able catch the side of the carriage and hold on. He watched as Oliver drew his pistol faster than he’d ever seen and fired, just as Eddie collided with him. Both fell to the ground, leaving the carriage to continue on without a driver.

 

When Barry finally got the strength to stand, he started searching for Oliver and Eddie. One of them had to still be around and, even if Eddie was under Eobard Thawne’s control, he still needed to know.

            What he found was Eddie, naked and bleeding out in the snow, a bullet wound in his chest.

            “Eddie!” He shouted, falling to his knees beside his friend.

Eddie smiled up at him. “Barry.”

“Eddie, please hold on.” Barry begged. “I can get you back to the village –back to Iris.”

Eddie shook his head. “No…no, Barry.” His voice was breathless and blood had started dripping from the corner of his mouth. “No…I....” His breathing became rushed. “I….Barry, I’m sorry…”

Then, the breathing stopped. Barry broke, his eyes filling with tears, and he dropped his head to his hands and sobbed. Footsteps crunched behind him, and Barry didn’t bother to look. “Not now, Oliver.”

“I’m not Oliver.”

And, just like that, everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I don’t want you to die. I want you to live with me—forever… One little moment of pain, and we could be together for all eternity."

            “ _Tomorrow night is All Hallows' Eve._

_Here in Budapest there is a wonderful masquerade ball._

_Master Thawne commands a trade._

_The Firestorm for the Prince.”_

 

Barry’s head felt foggy when he woke up. It was like he was in a dream, the edges of everything blurred and his body light. He noticed, vaguely, that he was in a grand ballroom. Around him, men and woman in over the top masquerade masks danced, and he followed, allowing himself to be led around the dancefloor. Mixed among the partygoers were acrobats, fire-swallowers, and, swinging high above, trapeze artists. He didn’t notice his partner until the arm around his waist tightened and he was pulled close to another body. He groaned weakly, but he was gently shushed. Fingers danced up Barry’s face, and he felt a mask lift off of his skin. He tried concentrating on his dance partner, but his mind was so heavy, he couldn’t focus.

            There was a puff of breath against his lips. He opened his mouth subconsciously and, suddenly, there were lips pressed against his. He heard himself moan at the contact and the lips began moving. His mind started to clear when he felt a tongue brush against his and, when he finally was able to focus, he squealed into his partner’s mouth. He tried to fight against the hands on his body, but his limbs wouldn’t respond. All he could do is turn his head away from the kiss. There was a chuckle near his ear.

            “Welcome back, Mr. Allen.” Eobard whispered. He stood before him in bright gold finery, draped in a dark cape, eyes boring into him hungrily. Barry shivered. “Tell me, how does it feel to be under my control?”

            Barry whipped his head around to glare at him. “You are _not_ in control of me.”

            The count chuckled again. “Is that so, Mr. Allen?” As if proving his point, Barry’s feet started to move again so that the pair joined the dancers once again. They continued dancing, Barry trying to fight his body and Eobard watching him with amusement.

            “I don’t know what you’re planning, but I won’t let it happen.” Barry finally growled. “I won’t let you trade me, and I won’t let you hurt Oliver.”

            Eobard smirked, dipping Barry sharply and pulling him back up. “I have absolutely no intention of trading you.” He assured. “Why give up what is mine when I can get what I want by other means?”

            Barry frowned. “What do you mean?”

            “You’ll know soon enough.” He replied, before spinning him around so his back was pressed against the count’s chest. Barry’s head tilted itself to the side and Eobard’s lips brushed against his pulse point. Barry’s breath hitched when the lips parted and fangs scraped lightly against his skin.

            “Why am I so important to you?” Barry asked, hoping to distract the count. “Is killing all of my family and damning us so significant?”      

            The fangs withdrew, and Barry relaxed slightly, but the lips stayed, caressing his skin as he talked. “I hate your family.” He explained. He pressed a kiss to Barry’s neck. “I always have. I would love nothing more than for every person with the last name _Allen_ to be doomed from heaven.” The lips traced up Barry’s neck, all the way to his ear. “Except you.”

            Barry started in shock, and Eobard took the opportunity to turn him back around to face him. The count’s face had changed from his arrogant smirk to something much…softer. “I’ve watched you since you were a child, Barry. You’re clever, you’re brave, you’re loyal.” He danced them around so they passed in front of one of the large mirrors decorating the walls. Barry’s heart almost stopped.

            In the whole room, he was the only person reflected in the mirror. He was standing in a room full of vampires. The whole party was a trap.

            “I don’t want you dead, Barry.” Eobard’s voice snapped his attention away from the mirror. It was the first time the vampire had called him by his first name. “Not really. I want you to join me. You will never age, never die. You’ll stay young and fair.” He leaned in towards Barry’s lips again. “I don’t want you to die. I want you to live with me— _forever_.”

            Barry felt himself being dipped again, only this time, it happened slowly, with him looking in Eobard’s eyes the entire time. “One little moment of pain.” The count whispered, lips moving down towards his neck. “And we could be together for all eternity.”

            Barry’s mind began to grow foggy again, and all thoughts on why he should fight disappeared. _Killing the count was impossible,_ he thought. _He was going to die anyway, and be trapped in purgatory, so why not give in? Why not live forever?_ His eyes slipped shut.

            Eobard’s fangs pressed against his pulse point, and he tensed up, waiting for the inevitable pain. But instead, there was a loud scream, and he was dropped to the floor. He opened his eyes to see Count Eobard Thawne writhing in flames. Behind a very apologetic fire-swallower, a beautiful dark-skinned girl was running back towards one of the doors. He felt a twinge of familiarity, but before he could think on it, something collided with him. One of the trapeze artists had cut his rope and used it to swing down into the crowd to swipe him from the dancefloor. Barry relaxed, knowing that he was safe, even if he didn’t realize why.

            They landed on the balcony above where the dark-skinned girl and an older, dark-skinned man were waiting for them. The man pulled him from the trapeze artist’s grasp, saying something to him in an urgent tone, but Barry just felt dazed. There was a pull in his gut to go back down to the dancefloor, but arms around him stopped him.

            “Barry!” He heard. The trapeze artist’s face came into view. “Barry, wake up!”

            Barry’s mind was jarred free. He was finally able to focus all the way, on the faces of Joe, Iris and Oliver. He looked down at himself and, for the first time, noticed that he was wearing different clothes. Thawne had dressed him in a deep scarlet suit, trimmed with a bright gold that’d matched his own. Barry blanched at the reminder of dancing with and kissing the count, and ripped at the trim of the suit in disgust.

            He paused when a laugh cut through the room. The music had stopped, all the dancers standing frozen staring at the balcony, and Thawne was walking calmly through the crowd, as though Iris hadn’t just set him on fire. He looked up at them, his eyes fixed on Barry and a smirk appeared on his face. His gaze shifted to the other three on the balcony.

            “Mr. West, Ms. West, Mr. Queen.” Thawne greeted smugly. “Welcome to my summer palace.”  

            The sound of heavy doors swinging open echoed through the room and Tony Woodward led in a small group of vampires, carrying Firestorm, strapped down to some kind of stretcher and unconscious, over their heads. Barry’s heart stopped.

            “We found it, master.” Woodward chuckled. “They thought they could hide it in a cemetery.” They all watched, horrified and helpless, as the vampires carried Firestorm away. Oliver slowly drew his gun, flinching in pain at the movement. Barry glanced over at his side, and there was blood seeping through his suit. He furrowed his brow. The only thing that could’ve made a wound like that—

            But Eobard Thawne turning back to them broke Barry from his thoughts. Smug smile still firmly in place, he raised his hand slowly, his eyes directly on Barry, and snapped his fingers. The party guests all removed their masks, their faces contorting into fanged monsters.

            “Run!” Barry yelled, grabbing Iris and Oliver by the arms and dragging them towards the door. Joe followed close behind, shooting over his shoulder at the approaching vampires. Felicity and Diggle stood in front of a huge stained-glass window on the other side of the door, a spherical glass bottle in the former’s hands.

            “Oliver!” Felicity squeaked. “Now I know what it’s for!” She frowned when she realized that none of them were slowing down their run. “Where are we going?”

            “THROUGH THAT WINDOW!” Oliver, Barry and Iris all yelled at once. Diggle grabbed Felicity, knocking the glass bottle to the ground and jumping through the window with her. Oliver and Barry were next, followed by Iris and Joe. Luckily, the window was over a small canal, giving them a watery landing.

            They heard screeches coming from the room above but, before any of the vampires could follow, and explosion of light erupted through the castle. When it finally died down, the screeches had stopped.

The vampires were all dead.

            Oliver smiled. “Felicity, you’re a genius!”

            The blonde shrugged. “Anyone with advanced knowledge of chemistry and access to unstable chemicals could have done the same.”

            A loud splash drew their attention further down the canal and, towards the gateway to the river, a small boat was rowing away. On it stood Tony Woodward and Hartley Rathaway, both looking arrogant and, behind them, tied to the mast, was Firestorm. Barry swam towards them, not knowing what he’d do when he got there, but knowing he couldn’t let Thawne get away with Firestorm.

            The gate closed before he could reach them. “I’ll save them!” He shouted after them. “I will!”

            “You can’t.”

He turned to see Oliver swimming up behind him. “Diggle cabled Rome earlier. We’re ordered to destroy Firestorm, even if we kill Eobard Thawne.”

Barry frowned. “But it’s not their fault. They aren’t evil.”

“Amanda Waller wants them destroyed so that they can never be used for evil by anyone.”

Anger welled up in Barry’s stomach. “And what about you?” He growled. “What did she say we should do with you… _werewolf?_ ” He rolled his eyes at Oliver’s shocked expression. Oliver hung his head in shame, and Barry had his answer.

 “We can save them.” He assured. “We can save them and you. But we can’t go around killing innocent people.”

When Oliver looked back up at him, Barry could’ve swore that he saw a flash of gold in his eyes.

0000000

            “Okay, so what have we learned?”

            They all sat around in a circle in Barry’s castle, battered and bruised and ready to end Thawne once and for all. Barry still felt a shiver when he thought back to the vampire, his childhood fear now also painted with revulsion at what Thawne had said in the ballroom.   

 _‘I don’t want you to die. I want you to live with me—forever…_ _One little moment of pain, and we could be together for all eternity.’_

            The fact that Barry even considered it was enough to make him want to gag.

            “Barry?” His head shot up at his name, and he realized everyone was watching him with varying degrees of worry. He nodded.

            “I’m okay. Keep going.” Oliver reached over to take his hand, sending a small, reassuring smile.

            “Alrighty…” Felicity continued. “What we know is that, hundreds of years ago, Eobard Thawne was murdered…”

            “By who?” Diggle asked.

            “By Jay Garrick, who, surprisingly enough, is one of Barry’s ancestors.”

            Joe shrugged. “Everyone here knows that.”  

            Felicity gaped at him. “Oh…well, after he died, he supposedly made a deal with the Devil to be granted immortal life, which can only be sustained for as long as he drinks blood. He wanted revenge on Jay Garrick, so he murdered his wife in front of him and swore to do the same to all of his descendants. So, Garrick went to Rome to beg forgiveness for his sins and made a pact that neither he nor his descendants would go to heaven until Eobard Thawne was dead.”

            “We know all of that, too.” Iris replied, her head resting on her hand. Barry noticed she was handling the news of Eddie’s death better than expected. Instead of being angry at Oliver for shooting him, she’d focused all of her energy into finding a way to find and kill Thawne.

            “But, did you know that, when Jay Garrick couldn’t find a way to kill Thawne, he banished him to an icy fortress through a secret, one way door?” Felicity shot back smugly.

            “And then the Devil gave him wings.”

            Felicity looked over at Barry and nodded. “Exactly.”

            “So, where is the door?”

            She cleared her throat nervously. “I don’t know. Yet.” She stood up and walked over to one of the walls. When she knocked on it, a section of it spun around to show a vampire and a wolf fighting. “But Jay Garrick left clues, for both Thawne’s location and, once he figured it out, the way to kill him.”

            Oliver frowned. “So, we still don’t know where he is or how to kill him, but we have a set of clues no one has been able to crack in 700 years that we need to solve before sundown, or else everyone is going to be turned into Thawne’s monster slaves?”

            Barry sat back in his seat. Jay Garrick wouldn’t make the door so difficult to find that no one would be able to find it. He thought over everything.

            “I’m sorry,” He heard Felicity snark back, “I haven’t been here the past 700 years, and neither has anyone else in this room. So, maybe we can reflect on what we’ve learned—”

            “Wait!” Felicity stopped midsentence to look at him. “Reflect.” He rose from his seat and rushed out the door, hoping that everyone else got the hint to follow.

            He hurried from the tower, down the stairs and towards one of the corridors –to the tapestry map his father would stare at every day, looking for Thawne’s lair. His eyes scanned around the edges until he found what he’d been looking for.

            At the very bottom, where the tapestry should’ve been attached into the wall, was a blank spot—a bit of mirror where a piece of the map had been removed long ago. He remembered growing up thinking it was strange that someone had placed a tapestry, but if his hunch was correct…

            Apparently, Oliver, who had slid to a stop behind him, had the same idea. “Felicity,” he said. “Do you still have that scroll Waller gave us?”

            She nodded, reaching into her bag and pulling out what looked like a rolled up piece of paper. But when Oliver unrolled it and pressed it over the blank space. There was a Latin inscription on it, and when Felicity translated it—

            “In the name of God,” she whispered, “open this door.”

            —the tapestry melted away, transforming into a mirrored wall with frost decorating the edges. Barry pursed his lips. Vampires didn’t have reflections, so maybe…

            “Maybe it isn’t a mirror at all.” Oliver finished his thought. The hunter took a step forward and pressed his hand against the mirror, which gave way to the pressure. Barry smiled as Oliver’s arm went through to the elbow.

            “It’s cold.” He informed them, pulling his arm back. The sleeve of his coat was covered in snow. “Felicity, you and Dig stay here.” He ordered, grabbing one of the torches from the wall. “If we’re not back in five hours, come in after us.” He turned to Barry. “You should probably stay here, too.”

            Barry gaped at him and shook his head. “No. We’re doing this together or not at all.”           

            Oliver looked like he was going to argue, but Joe cut in. “If we’re going to do this, we need to do it now, before the sun sets.”

            The hunter growled. “Fine.” He drew a silver stake from his belt and held it out to the prince. “But take this, and stay with us. Understand?”

            Barry rolled his eyes, but nodded, taking the stake and walking through the mirror.

0000000

“So,” Barry asked as they quietly moved through Thawne’s castle. “What’s the plan?”  He watched Oliver carefully, worried about the full moon’s effects on him. It hadn’t quelled his worry when the hunter grabbed him, Iris and Joe and _leapt into the air with them_ to get them through the open area over the castle doors.

Oliver shrugged. “Find Firestorm. Stop Thawne. Kill anyone that gets in our way.”

Joe raised an eyebrow. “And what do we do about him?” He pointed towards an open doorway leading down into what was probably a basement, where Hartley Rathaway was coming through with large metal coils in his arms. When he saw them, he dropped the coils to the ground and tried to run, but one well-aimed arrow from Oliver pinned his arm to the wall behind him.

“Ow!” He screamed. “What the hell?!?!” He inhaled sharply when Oliver notched another arrow and pointed it towards his head. “Okay, okay…what do you want to know?”

Barry stepped up beside them. “Firestorm—where are they?”

Hartley looked between Oliver and Barry with disbelief, before letting out a hysterical laugh. “Really? _That’s_ what you’re worried about? If I were you, I’d be more worried about your friend here.” He nodded towards Oliver, who growled like an animal. Hartley didn’t even flinch. “Down, boy.” He smirked, turning back to Barry. “I’d be after the Cure if I were you.”

Beside him, Oliver tensed up, but Barry kept his eye on Hartley. “So, it’s true? There is a cure?”

Hartley smirked, but didn’t reply. Oliver frowned and tightened his grip on his bow. “Barry, he’d just trying to distract us. Why would Thawne have the cure?”

But… _no way._ Barry’s mind started connecting the pieces. The clues left behind by Jay Garrick, the painting Felicity found, the caption-- _"Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the moon is shining bright. Or crave another's blood when the sun goes down and his body takes to flight."_

“Because Thawne can only be killed by a werewolf.” By the look on Hartley’s face, he hit the nail right on the head.

“That doesn’t make sense.” Iris said behind them. “He’s been using werewolves as slaves for years.”

“But none of them would know that.” Joe spoke up. “And, if one of them turned on him, he’d need to turn it back before it killed him.”

Barry looked over at Oliver, whose eyes were still fixed on Hartley. After a moment, the hunter lowered his bow. “Here’s the deal, Rathaway.”  He grabbed the arrow sticking out of the scientist’s arm. “You’re going to lead Iris and Barry to the Cure. Understand?” He twisted the arrow hard, and Hartley let out a loud howl.

“ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT!” He screamed. “I’LL TAKE THEM TO THE CURE!”

Oliver nodded, before ripping the arrow straight out of his arm. Hartley fell to the floor in pain, but Oliver ignored him in favor of turning to Iris. He drew his pistol and handed it to her. “He tries anything, shoot him in the leg.”

“I’ll shoot him somewhere.” She agreed. She moved over to drag Hartley to his feet while Oliver pulled Barry to the side. A shiver went down the prince’s spine when he locked onto him with an intense gaze.

“Barry, Joe and I are going to find Firestorm and Thawne. I need you and Iris to follow Hartley to the Cure and bring it back before the last stroke of midnight.” Barry nearly stopped breathing when Oliver took his hands in his own. “If you don’t get the Cure in me before then, you have to take the silver stake I gave you and stab me in the heart.”

Barry swallowed hard and shook his head. “Oliver, I can’t…”

“You have to, Barry.” His hands crept up to cup Barry’s face, his thumb brushing away a tear Barry hadn’t realized was falling. “You’re the only one I trust to do it.”

Then, Oliver’s lips were pressed against his, hot and intense and, before Barry could respond, the lips were gone. It took Barry a second to take a breath. “I hate this plan.”

Oliver gave a small nod. “We don’t have a choice. We have to save your family, and Firestorm, and stop Thawne.” He stepped back and smiled a little. “If you’re late, run like hell.”

The realization that this could be their last time seeing each other hit Barry hard and, the next thing he knew, he was grabbing Oliver by his shirt and pulling him into another kiss. This one was passionate and deep, and Barry felt a tad giddy when he heard Oliver moan. When they finally pulled away, Barry smirked at the dazed expression on the hunter’s face.

“I won’t be late.” He assured, stepping away to join Iris and Hartley.

0000000

Hartley led them to a small chamber at the top of the west tower. In the center was a syringe floating in a glass orb. Both Iris and Barry took a step in the chamber, so concerned with the Cure, they forgot about their prisoner until a loud crash echoed behind them.

Hartley had closed a heavy iron gate over the doorway.

The scientist laughed as he hobbled away, probably to warn Thawne about their presence, and Iris cursed. “Now how are we going to get the Cure to Oliver?”

A cackle echoed through the chamber, and all the torches cut out. “It’s not Oliver Queen the two of you should be worried about.” Woodward’s voice called out. The vampire dropped to the floor, an evil smile on his face. The pair started to edge towards the center of the room.

“The master wants you to join us, Allen.” He said, stalking slowly towards them. “Personally, I’d rather you just die.” Iris pulled her gun on him, and Woodward paused. “You really think that’ll stop me, West?” He came closer and closer, until he was in their space. “Your little pistol won’t kill me.”

“No,” Iris agreed, “but it’ll still hurt like hell.” She fired a bullet into his chest, knocking him back far enough for the pair to round the sphere with the Cure and push it towards him. The glass shattered on the floor in front of him, and acid splattered everywhere. Tony cradled his face and howled as the skin melted off, giving Barry time to draw his stake.

By the time the vampire recovered, Barry was in front of him, stake raised, a determined look on his face. Woodward screamed and, once the stake was planted in his heart, burst into dust.

Iris walked up behind him, Cure in hand. “How do we get out of here?” Barry looked around, trying to find something to break open the gate with. He grinned when he spotted a broken off piece of glass, cupping some of the acid. He picked it up and threw it on the iron, which melted away.

He and Iris shared a relieved laugh as they ran from the room, down the tower steps, and out to the bridge connecting the tower to the other half of the castle. Barry paused when he heard a blood-curdling scream above them, followed by an earth-shaking howl. “Oliver’s changing.” He said, looking back at Iris. “We need to get this cure to him.”

“I don’t think you’re going to make it.” A voice taunted behind them. Before Barry could turn, he felt a powerful jolt of electricity through his back. He could distantly hear Iris calling his name, followed by the sound of fighting, but all he could concentrate on was the retreating pain. When it finally passed, he realized he was on his hands and knees, the Cure not two feet away from him, and Iris was fighting off Hartley, who was swinging a huge, electric prod like a weapon.

“Barry!” Iris shouted. “Take the Cure!”

He didn’t need telling twice as he grabbed the syringe in front of him and took out in a run straight from the ground.

0000000

Barry entered the lab to find nearly everything destroyed. Equipment was shattered, machinery ripped up by claws, but still Firestorm was strapped up high above, waiting for lightning to strike. Barry’s heart nearly stopped when he saw Joe, lying on the floor, head bleeding. He rushed to his side and was relieved when he found a pulse. He dragged Joe away from the most damaged areas, to somewhere that seemed safe until he woke up, and focused on the fight at hand. Growls and painful howls echoed through the room, and Barry knew that Oliver was fighting Thawne with everything he had. None of that would matter, though, if Thawne’s machine was activated.

Barry listened out for the midnight strokes and, hearing none, made a decision. He ran towards the huge, cylindrical central mechanism of Thawne’s monster machine and began searching for a way to shut it off.

Suddenly, there was a crash, and a werewolf and a vampire tumbled down behind him, locked in a fight to the death. Barry jumped away, avoiding the swipe of claws and gnashes of teeth. That’s when he saw it.

On the side of the machine was tiny door. When Barry opened it, he smiled. There were coils and cogs and all array of machinery. He looked around the ground for something, _anything_ , to jam it with, when the growls behind him dropped to the sound of a human panting. He glanced back to see Oliver, now human because the moon slipped behind a cloud, staring at Thawne with fear. The vampire smirked in his horrible way and threw the hunter across the room.

“OLIVER!”

Barry’s stomach dropped when Thawne turned at his shout, eyes focused now on him. He reached into his pocket to draw out his stake but, before he could, he was pinned to the side of the machine, Eobard Thawne pressed against his front.

“I always get what I want, Barry.” He snarled through his fangs. Barry swallowed hard when the vampire lowered his head so that his lips brushed against the prince’s neck. “I want you to know that, after I turn you, I’m going to kill everyone you care about—starting with Oliver, then Iris and Joe, until all the people you love are with your dead parents in purgatory.”

Barry tried to kick out at the vampire, but Thawne’s legs were pressed against his, holding him down while his fangs plunged into the prince’s neck. Barry groaned in pain, feeling his body growing weaker and weaker…until Thawne was releasing him with a scream.

Barry hadn’t even realized that his eyes closed but, when he opened them, he saw that the moon had started peeking out of the clouds again, and Oliver was standing behind Thawne in full wolf. Thawne, who was so distracted by Barry, he hadn’t noticed the werewolf was there until his jaws ripped into him. Eobard Thawne thrashed in pain, his body slowly disintegrating, but still fighting for his life. Barry jumped back from him, drawing his silver stake, knowing what else he had to do.

Looking into Thawne’s eyes, he plunged the stake into the machinery behind him. Thawne howled as it sparked and fizzled, until the cogs stopped and the coils sprung, and the machine stopped. Thawne lunged for him one more time, and Barry just smiled smugly as the vampire disappeared into dust. A wave of relief passed through him, knowing that his family now had passage to heaven.

A growl in front of him reminded him of another problem he now had. His eyes widened when he saw Oliver’s attention now fully fixed on him.

“Oliver…” He breathed, taking a step back, his hand sneaking towards the Cure. “I’m your friend, remember? You kissed me out in the main hall of the castle? It was kind of amazing?”

The wolf growled again, and Barry took another step back. “Oliver, please. You don’t want to do this. You’re stronger than this curse. You are Oliver Queen.”

When the wolf’s eyes narrowed, he knew he wasn’t getting through. He went to take another, slow step back, but the wolf chose that moment to dive at him. Barry was tackled to the ground, teeth snapping at him and claws scratching, and him barely able to avoid them.

 “Barry!” Joe’s voice echoed from behind them. Oliver turned to roar at him, and Barry saw his chance. He lunged forward, stabbing the syringe into Oliver’s fur and pushing down the plunger.

Oliver froze. The fur fell from his body, his snout bent and twisted back into a normal, human nose and mouth, and he shrunk down to his normal height. Barry rose to his feet, smiling when he saw Iris walking over with an unsteady, but living, Firestorm supported on her arm.

0000000

 

 “So, you’re sure that I’m okay?” Barry asked, his head tilted at an uncomfortable angle while Ronnie Raymond’s fiancé checked him over. “I’m not going to sprout wings or develop a craving for human blood?”

Caitlin laughed. “No, you’ll be fine. It seems like all Thawne did was drink from you. At worse, you’ll need to eat and drink more over the next few days to keep yourself from getting dizzy.”

Barry grinned and glanced towards her. “Thank you.”

Caitlin’s smile melted into something sadder. “You saved Ronnie. I mean, I know he’s not the same person I knew, but he’s alive and out of the clutches of Eobard Thawne. Giving you a once over is the very least I can do for everything you’ve done.”

“What are they going to do now?” He asked as she began wrapping some bandages around his neck.

“They have decided to leave Transylvania.” Barry could’ve swore her voice broke, but didn’t comment on it. “Since Rome wants them dead, and most civilized societies would find them… _odd_ , they’ve decided to travel to some uncharted lands. They think that someone could have a way to separate them.” She cut the bandage and tacked it.

Barry nodded. It must have been hard for Ronnie and Dr. Stein to share a body. For them to be free, yet still trapped together…

The sound of someone clearing their throat broke Barry from his thoughts. He turned his head to see Oliver standing in the doorway, bag thrown over his shoulder, guns holstered on his hips and hood raised.

“You’re leaving?”

Oliver nodded solemnly and Caitlin excused herself to give them some privacy. Oliver walked over to the chair across from where Barry was seated, but didn’t sit. Instead, he hovered around the back, his fingers tracing the design on it like he wanted to sit, but would lose the nerve to leave if he did.

“Rome recalled me. They want Dig, Felicity and I back before the end of next week.” He didn’t sound too happy about it. Barry wasn’t sure if that made it better or worse.

“I could come with you.” 

Oliver gave him one of those rare bright smiles, the kind that lit up his eyes and seemed to chase the darkness of his life away. “Barry, you’re needed here.”

Barry shook his head. “Iris and Joe can take care of everything here. They’re better at it than me anyway. I could go with you and help you fight evil. We make a great team.”

“We did, Barry.” It didn’t escape his notice that Oliver was already using past tense. “But the life I live, the evil I face…I couldn’t ask you to come and see that. It would scar you—like it’s scarred me, like it’s scarred Dig, like it’s even scarred Felicity.”

He walked over and knelt down at Barry’s feet, so they were eye level, and he reached up to cup his cheek. “I don’t want you to be scarred anymore, Barry. I want you to live in the light.”

His thumb stroked up Barry’s cheek to brush away a tear that decided to fall. “This doesn’t mean goodbye forever.” He whispered. “Just goodbye for now.” He leaned up and pressed their lips together as so much more than a kiss –it was a promise that, no matter what, they would see each other again. When they pulled apart, Barry’s lips twitched up.

“When I call for you, you better come running… _fast_.”

Oliver laughed and pressed another kiss to Barry’s lips. “Nothing could keep me away.”

 

 

THE END

**Author's Note:**

> Don't forget to comment and let me know what you think :) I will try to finish the next part by the end of next week.


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